Middle East Studies Association

P275

September 13, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

More terminations and displacement for Turkish academics

Letter to PM Yıldırım and President Erdoğan concerning the two new emergency decrees (KHK) 693 and 694 issued on 25 August 2017 in the Official Gazette, the first of which terminates the positions of 120 academic personnel from 27 universities and the second of which creates the framework for forcibly transferring academics restored to their positions following earlier purges to universities other than those where they originally held positions prior to their dismissals.

July 31, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Termination of 302 academic personnel in 50 universities (KHK 692)

Letter to PM Yıldırım and President Erdoğan concerning the new emergency decree (KHK) 692 issued on 14 July 2017 at the Official Gazette, that terminated 302 academic personnel in 50 universities.

July 26, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Sentencing of Nabeel Rajab to two years imprisonment

Letter to King of Bahrain to protest sentencing of human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, about whom CAFMENA has written several times, to two years' imprisonment, as well as the conditions of his detention.

July 18, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Egypt’s deportation of Ulghur students to China

Letter to Egyptian authorities protesting Egypt's deportation of Uighur students to China.

July 11, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Response by SFSU President Wong to June 29 Letter

June 29, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Denial of Political Asylum for Radwan Ziadeh

Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kelly and CIS Acting Director McAment protesting the decision to deny political asylum to Syrian opposition activist Radwan Ziadeh.

June 29, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Lawfare Project lawsuit

Letter to San Francisco State University President Wong and California State University Chancellor White regarding the Lawfare Project's lawsuit.

June 23, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Suspension of Professor Mona Prince

Letter to Suez University President and Egyptian Minister of Higher Education concerning the suspension of Professor Mona Prince of Suez University for allegedly "inciting arguments and problems in the university" through “controversial” class assignments and discussions.

June 20, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Deportation of foreign students and staff at Fethullah Gulen universities

Letter to PM Yıldırım and President Erdoğan concerning the deportation of foreign students and staff in closed Fethullah Gulen universities.

June 08, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Response to June 5 letter

June 05, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Arrest and detention of Dr. Ahmad Qatamesh

Letter to Israeli state authorities condemning the arbitrary arrest and unlawful “administrative detention” of Dr. Ahmad Qatamesh by the Israeli occupation authorities as well as the Israeli state prison services.

June 02, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Cancellation of Edward Said Professorship in Middle East Studies

Letter to administrators of California State University, Fresno expressing concern that the abrupt cancellation of the search for the Edward Said Professorship in Middle East Studies after the names of the four finalists - all of Arab or Muslim descent - constitutes a violation of academic procedures and violates academic freedom.

May 19, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

TÜBİTAK memo asking for removal of dismissed academics from editorial and review boards

Letter to PM Yıldırım and President Erdoğan regarding a memo issued by the Turkish Council for Scientific and Technical Research (TÜBİTAK) on March 17, 2017, addressed to peer reviewed scientific journals listed under the National Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBİM). The memo asks journals to remove any members who have been dismissed, suspended, and/or banned from public service on the basis of their alleged affiliation with terrorist organizations from their editorial and review boards. The memo is emblematic of the most recent wave of attacks against academic freedom in Turkey.

May 15, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Deteriorating conditions for Turkish academic and teacher on hunger strike following terminations

Letter to Turkish officials regarding the deteriorating conditions of an academic, Nuriye Gülmen, and a teacher, Semih Özakça, who have been on hunger strike in protest of their terminations without process by emergency decrees.

May 05, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Another wave of terminations from recent emergency decrees

Letter concerning April 29th Emergency Decree 689 removing 484 academics and 98 administrators from their university positions.

April 18, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

UK Universities cancel scheduled talks by Richard Falk

Professor Richard Falk was subject to defamation and the obstruction or cancellation of scheduled talks after the release of a report, co-authored with Professor Virginia Tilley, on Israeli law and practice, commissioned by the United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia.

April 06, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Khalil al-Halwachi sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment

Letter to the King of Bahrain to protest the sentencing of educator and instructor Khalil al-Halwachi to ten years’ imprisonment and to urge Bahrain to respect internationally recognized standards of due process and freedom of expression and association.

April 05, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Concern and Support for Nasser bin Ghaith sentenced to 10 years

Letter to UAE authorities to protest the ten-year prison sentence of economist, academic and prominent human rights defender, Dr. Nasser bin Ghaith about whom CAF-MENA has written several times, and to urge the leadership to intervene promptly to reverse the Court’s decision.

April 04, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Dismissal of two faculty at Boğaziçi University

Letter to PM Yıldırım concerning the dismissal of two faculty members of Boğaziçi University (Istanbul) by the Higher Education Council of Turkey (YOK) on the basis that they are signatories to the petition with the title “We will not be a Party to this Crime”.

March 31, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Travel Restriction and Investigation of Omar Barghouti

Letter to Israeli state authorities expressing concern over the recent investigation of Omar Barghouti, permanent resident and BDS co-founder. CAF is concerned the allegations are political and, therefore, violate his right to movement and to non-violent political expression.

March 30, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

New Initiatives to Help Imperiled Turkish Scholars

March 29, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Arrest and Detention of Ahmed Mansoor

Letter to UAE authorities regarding the arrest of Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent human rights activist and 2015 recipient of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.

March 20, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

New York State Senate passes bills to prohibit funding of university groups supporting boycott of allied nations

Letter to the New York State Assembly regarding two bills sanctioning students and faculty who advocate a boycott of Israel or other 'allied nations'.

March 10, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Travel ban for supporters of boycott of Israel

Letter to Israeli state authorities condemning an amendment to the “Entry into Israel” Law that denies entry to anyone who supports a boycott of Israel and/or all territories under Israeli control, including the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

March 02, 2017
Committee on Academic Freedom

Incarceration of nearly 1000 students

Letter to PM Yıldırım regarding incarcerated students in Turkey, numbering close to 1000, and the alarming deterioration in conditions of their detention. Credible reports suggest that evidence for terrorism-related charges is weak, while students are subjected to lengthy detentions as pre-trial punishment.

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